FFI USA PROGRAM
July 5-17th
Selected from applicants across the United States, ten young leaders will participate in FFI's flagship leadership program. Through intensive training, immersive experiences, and community action, they will develop the resilience, empathy, and leadership skills needed to make a lasting impact in their communities.
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Aaryahi, TX
Aaryahi enjoys basketball, journaling, reading romantic comedies, and putting together outfits. Outside of her hobbies, she thinks a lot about the challenges people in her community face, including infrastructure issues, insurance costs, and the rising cost of living.
She joined FFI because she wants to learn how to support immigrants in her community more effectively and help plan a Community Action Project that connects people to the resources they need.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to help immigrants in our community… I want to plan a Community Action Project to give them the support and resources they need. I also want to make sure they have a place where they feel welcome."
Allison, CA
Allison likes baking, skateboarding, writing poetry, listening to music, and reading. She cares about issues like food waste, language barriers, and the fact that teens often don't have easy access to important government information.
She joined FFI because she wants to find ways to help people facing food insecurity and support immigrants in her community. She believes that showing up and trying is how things actually change.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to impact the immigrant population in my community. I'd also like to help people with food insecurity because it is a basic human need."
Anisha, OR
Anisha has been playing piano for eight years and also enjoys henna art, sketching, Taekwondo, and listening to music. She is passionate about environmental issues, particularly the way climate change and food insecurity affect lower-income families more than others.
She joined FFI because she wants to develop the leadership skills to take action in her community and work toward a future where climate-driven inequality is less severe.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to directly impact my local community and especially the poorer populations. That is because climate change and food insecurity mostly impacts lower income families. I imagine a future for my community where climate change driven inequality no longer exists."
Carmen, PA
Carmen enjoys photography, graphic design, video editing, and 3D modeling. She is drawn to storytelling in all its forms and cares deeply about cultural diversity in her community, where she sees people from many backgrounds choosing to embrace their identities rather than blend into one homogenous culture.
She joined FFI because she wants to grow as a leader and find ways to support marginalized communities, especially those navigating questions of identity and belonging.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to impact the marginalized groups living in modern-day North America, who are fighting assimilation and conformity… In my community, we have high diversity rates and a large immigration population. From the halal trucks to the multicultural showcase my school has, it's so beautiful to see everyone embrace themselves instead of becoming westernized."
Elizabeth, CA
​Elizabeth enjoys reading, writing stories and poems, and making art. She cares about issues including the environment, youth empowerment, food insecurity, and political empathy. She has always felt strongly about gender equality and wants to be an advocate for women who face violence and injustice.
She joined FFI because she wants to develop the tools and confidence to turn those values into real action in her community.
How I want to impact my community: "If I can impact women in my community that are suffering through violence, especially domestic violence, I would be very fulfilled."
Joanna, FL
Joanna loves animating, drawing, painting, making bracelets, and scrapbooking. At school, she has noticed that many students struggle to feel safe or motivated, and she is bothered by the lack of academic focus, school spirit, and welcoming spaces for students from all backgrounds.
She joined FFI because she wants to learn how to create more inclusive environments at her school and help students feel like higher education is an option for them.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to impact the students at my school, especially those who face prejudice based on their gender, race, or sexual orientation. I want to create more spaces for students to further explore their interests… I also hope that an increase in school spirit would decrease the amount of violence."
Manya CA
​Manya enjoys hiking, pottery, history, and film. She cares about food insecurity, violence, and the rights of young girls in communities abroad who face child marriage. She wants to support people who lack basic necessities and show that taking action, even on a small scale, can lead to real change.
She joined FFI because she wants to move from caring about these issues to actually doing something about them.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to impact people in need, especially those lacking basic necessities, and young girls whose rights are limited, providing resources and showing that action can create real change."
Olivia, UT
Olivia enjoys singing, playing piano, reading historical fiction, and making art. She is concerned about the divisions in her community around political beliefs, religion, and language. Having personally experienced what it feels like to navigate a language barrier, she wants to help others who may feel like they don't belong for that same reason.
She joined FFI to develop the leadership skills to help bridge those gaps and make her community more welcoming.
How I want to impact my community: "I would like to impact the population who does not speak English. I know how it feels to not be able to communicate with people when there's a language barrier, and I want to help people who may feel that they don't belong because of that."
Sehar, CA
​Sehar enjoys painting and playing basketball. She is passionate about cultural representation and wants to create a greater impact for the communities she is part of, which she feels are often underrepresented.
She joined FFI to build the confidence and skills to advocate more effectively for those communities and learn from others who share similar goals.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to create an impact to the communities that I'm part of because there isn't much representation for them."
Sophia, GA
Sophia enjoys talking with friends and family, drawing, reading about history and art, playing games, and helping others. She is concerned about the separation between communities and cultures at her school and wants to help students who lack access to resources, guidance, and opportunities outside the classroom.
She joined FFI because she believes that supporting young people is one of the most important things someone can do, and she wants to learn how to do it better.
How I want to impact my community: "I want to impact students who don't have access to resources. A lot of students and scholars struggle with support and opportunities, and guidance outside of school. Helping kids succeed can create a stronger environment and better futures for the kids who determine this country's future."
Program Snapshot
Program Focus
Resilience, empathy, communication, public speaking, conflict transformation, leadership, and community action
Number of Participants
10
Number of Leaders
3 per team (includes FFI Staff and Alumni)
Ages of Students
15-17
Team Interests
Sports, music, theater, debate, student leadership, volunteering, creative arts, reading, and outdoor activities
Dietary Restrictions
Plant-based (Vegan)
Allergies
n/a
Community Action Plan
Required for successful completion
Every Student Attends Tuition Free
$3,000 per student
In order for FFI to make these programs 100% tuition-free for accepted applicants, we rely upon individuals, companies, and foundations to donate towards scholarships. If you would like to do so, please click the button below for an online gift or mail a check to our Headquarters at 1 Morgan Way, Durham, NH 03824. Please be sure to include a note directing your funds.
One full scholarship equals $3,000, but gifts of all sizes make an impact on the lives of the youth participants.